Animal safety overlooked during prison rodeo study

Oklahoma Department of Corrections officials estimate $1.2 million in first-year ticket sales if lawmakers allocate at least $8.3 million to renovate the rodeo arena at McAlester’s Oklahoma State Penitentiary.

September 19, 2024

A revitalized prison rodeo at McAlester’s Oklahoma State Penitentiary would be a welcome respite from prison life for inmates and a financial boon to state coffers and the local economy, officials testified before the Oklahoma Senate Public Safety Committee during an interim study on September 10.

What they did not address, however, was concerns about animal safety during potentially unsanctioned rodeos featuring untrained inmate participants. Despite a statement at the meeting’s outset from Senate Public Safety Chairman Darcy Jech that interim studies should be conducted objectively with both sides being heard, no mention of animal welfare was made by any of the presenters or the legislators in attendance.

In March 2024, philanthropist and former Oklahoma County jail trust member Sue Ann Arnall wrote an op-ed published by The Oklahoman, detailing evidence of animal abuse from prior Oklahoma prison rodeos. “Rodeos have a long tradition and, historically, came about to display the skills and expertise in animal handling needed to be an effective cattle rancher. Expertise in riding and roping not only helps a rancher move their cattle where they need to go, but also prioritizes the safety and well-being of animals,” Arnall wrote. “In contrast, videos I’ve seen from past prison rodeo events show a host of animal abuses and atrocities, including a steer being dragged by its tail and horses being roped and tipped like cattle. One very difficult-to-watch clip showed a badly injured horse in distress with a broken leg left dangling while inmates whipped the poor horse to keep it moving in the ring.”

Asked about animal safety after the interim study, Oklahoma Department of Corrections Director Steven Harpe said he was open to discussing the issue with stakeholders, but to this point there has been no commitment from legislators or Oklahoma DOC officials about mandating animal welfare guidelines for a renewed prison rodeo.

Animal welfare guidelines are typically established by the private rodeo companies contracted to provide livestock for events, Oklahoma Department of Corrections Chief of Staff Justin Farris said. He did not specify which companies are being considered to bring animals to a new Oklahoma prison rodeo or what training inmates would be provided to ensure animal safety.

Most rodeo events reflect real-life practices on cattle ranches, and the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) has had animal welfare guidelines since 1947, according to information posted on the American Veterinary Medical Association’s (AVMA) website. Those guidelines “call for adequate housing and safe transport and provide for on-site veterinary care. Animals are chosen randomly and inspected before each show, and stimulants and tranquilizers are prohibited. If an animal looks like it may hurt itself in a holding pen, the gate is opened to allow the animal to run.” Cowboys are disqualified and/or fined for animal abuse.

The Angola Prison Rodeo in Louisiana is the nation’s only other prison rodeo, running since 1965. Its events, however, do not mimic real-life cowboy skills. Critics of the Angola Prison Rodeo have compared it to Roman gladiator spectacles, where inmates “volunteer” to compete in dangerous, life-threatening events in the hopes of winning cash prizes that, while small in the outside world, amount to a fortune in the prison economy.

One of Angola’s events, the “Chariot Race,” features contestants riding on wakeboards while being pulled by horses galloping at top speed. Another event, “Convict Poker,” challenges inmates to sit at a table while a wild bull is released in the arena. The last contestant to keep their seat wins. “Guts and Glory” asks inmates to pluck a poker chip that is attached to a Brahma bull. The prize for the winner is $500. Inmates must sign waivers to compete.

Comparisons to involuntary gladiator events are unwarranted, Harpe said. “I spend a lot of time talking to inmates,” he said. “We actually have some cowboys in the system that were on a ranch before. There’s also a lot of people that will learn these skills and learn how to interact with the animals and compete.”

Seeing dollar signs

Exactly how much money a revived prison rodeo could make—and what that money would be used for—is unclear, but Harpe estimated the rodeo could bring in more than $1.2 million in ticket sales over three weekends during its first year. “We don’t have all the answers today on the finances because until you have one of these things up and running, we don’t know,” Harpe said.

Before the prison rodeo can begin anew—it ran most years since 1940 until ending due to budget constraints, the arena’s condition, and animal welfare concerns in 2009—the crumbling arena at Oklahoma State Penitentiary needs a complete renovation. The Oklahoma Legislature considered two bills last session that would have allocated $8.3 million toward the restoration of the 12,500-seat stadium. The state department of corrections has also put $1 million towards the project. The House and Senate each passed their own versions of a measure to fund the renovation project, but the bills failed to advance past certain legislative deadlines. In May, Harpe withdrew his request for the funds so that the issue could be more closely examined, hence the interim study last week. “The rodeo for us is something that’s more than just a one-time event. It’s something that creates a marketplace,” he said.

Officials did not say how many inmates would be allowed to compete, but that they might come from prisons across Oklahoma, along with corrections officers to provide extra security. Harpe estimated the cost to bring officers in from other facilities to be about $27,000.

Officials said they are using the Angola Prison Rodeo as a model. That rodeo runs one weekend in April and every Sunday in October. In 2023, Louisiana’s prison rodeo generated $2.2 million in total revenue during the month of October, divided among ticket sales, tours, programs, inmate clubs, and hobby craft sales. Pre-COVID, the rodeo brought in nearly $2.6 million in revenue during its 2019 fall season, according to data provided by Oklahoma DOC staff.

The $8.3 million price tag (a number that figures to rise due to increasing construction costs) amounts to a “drop in the bucket,” of the state’s annual operating budget, said Senator Warren Hamilton, who requested the interim study. “There are three big drivers on this. The first is, obviously, to help the inmates,” Hamilton said. “There is significant economic development and tax revenue benefits associated with this.”

The revenue generated by the prison rodeo could be used to improve education and rehabilitation programming for inmates and to provide pay raises to corrections officers, Harpe said. Besides competing in rodeo events, inmates would also be allowed to volunteer for support roles and to sell goods and crafts that they have made. The money the inmates earned would be deposited in their personal accounts for food and sundries sold inside the prison.

Harpe also spoke of a potential partnership with the Professional Bull Riders organization to host additional rodeo events at the arena, and he said he would like to attract county music artists to perform at the arena, much like Johnny Cash did in 1974. “We want to save taxpayers expenses on incarceration,” he said.

Outgoing McAlester mayor John Browne told the committee that the prison rodeo was always beneficial to the city in terms of tourism and sales tax revenue. “The best money we get is outside tax money.”

If state lawmakers allocate funds to renovate Oklahoma’s prison rodeo arena, Harpe said he believes there would be no shortage of inmate volunteers to participate. “We’re going to look at the ones who do this for a living and take a lot of advice from them as well about how we should structure this,” he said. “There’s a lot of people that want to take a shot at this.”

Reducing recidivism

Another topic not discussed was best practices to reduce recidivism among former inmates. While Harpe said revenue generated by the prison rodeo could be used for inmate education and programming, he did not specify what programs work best to keep former inmates from reoffending and going back to prison. Oklahoma’s recidivism rate is one of the nation’s lowest at 22.6 percent, but the state's incarceration rate is second highest, below only Louisiana. Research shows that educational programs offered in state prisons are instrumental to lowering recidivism.

According to the National Institute for Justice, the research, development and evaluation agency of the U.S. Department of Justice, some U.S. correctional systems in recent years have studied Western European and Scandinavian countries to learn how to transform the culture in prisons, making for more rehabilitative environments and greater safety. “Countries like Denmark, Germany, Norway, and Sweden view prison as an opportunity to promote rehabilitation and a successful return to the community. The goal is not to inflict further punishment but rather to create a supportive environment that mirrors life outside prison as much as possible. This is accomplished through intensive rehabilitative services, a well-trained correctional workforce, and more humane prison conditions,” wrote Nancy La Vigne, Ph.D., director of the National Institute of Justice.

PHOTO CREDIT: Oklahoma Historical Society

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